Impossible to claim on Virgin Money Travel Insurance!!

[carocaro]

Lost camera on Calais/Dover ferry in August, I called P&O Ferries the day after I returned from holiday but had to wait three weeks to see if the camera turned up (3 weeks is the P&O policy on lost items). I called Virgin Travel after I called P&O days after holiday to see if I could make a claim, I was told yes & that I needed written proof from P&O that it was not found and then I could submit a claim. I sent all this and now Virgin Money won't pay out as I did not get a written police report that it was lost within 24 hrs of it being lost.

I was not advised when I called up to see if I had a claim that I should have reported the camera to the police as lost within 24 hrs as otherwise the claim would be invalid. I could not have done that either as I did not find out for 3 weeks that P&O had not found the camera.

Kent Police don't provide written reports for any lost or stolen items, just a number for stolen items only. I reported camera lost 3 days after incident and I was told I had a claim, at no point did Virgin tell me to report it to the police in 24 hrs or the claim was invalid. So I could have not ever claimed on the policy from the get-go.

Virgin say that it is not up to their staff to give every detail of the policy when speaking to a customer, but maybe it's just me, but I would have thought that was the first thing you would ask 'have you reported it to the police?' But no. I know it was lost and not stolen as I left it on a bench whilst my son was being sick due to the rough crossing.

Feel like I have been totally deceived and fleeced.

Go through virgin's complaints process and tell them you will take it to financial ombudsman service if dissatisfied.

It costs companies money for this so they may pay up. If not, take it to the ombudsman.

Id say comment around their staff not being responsible for going through every detail of policy is a breach of their conduct risk.

Daughter had stolen/lost her specially insured iphone in Cambodia. Virgin won't pay up until all ORIGINAL documents are given to it, that is: signed claim form, flight documents to show she is travelling, police report etc etc. No copies, no scans, originals only

So basically you have to do it on your return, then they take around 5 working days to review, and another 5 working days to bother sending a cheque... BUT first they take off the excess AND then take off 10% of the phone's value - ie apply two 'excess' charges. So expect to lose about 20% value on any such item.

Thus although you think you have taken 'Gold' or 'Silver' insurance to protect yourself and belongings you have bought a from a cheap chiselling high street spiv who cares nothing for your dilemma or dissatisfaction.

Apparently all this is buried somewhere in their 25 page terms and conditions.

I've had EXACTLY the same problem with Virgin Insurance. My son (17) lost his passport (naturally) on a layover in Amsterdam. Reported it to several people in authority as they wouldn't let him out of passport control without it. Relenting eventually, he made a mad dash to the British Embassy, who issued him with replacement travel documents, cancelling his passport immediately, as a matter of course.

Virgin Travel refused to pay up without a police report within the first 24 hours. Before I submitted the claim, I said there was no police report (there were no police) and was advised to obtain a form. Schiphol authorities don't issue lost/stolen forms for passports. The embassy did, however, send me a specific email confirming the loss and the cost incurred. Still not sufficient, apparently. How much of a higher authority than the British Embassy in Amsterdam do they need ? - God, perhaps ? Clearly a genuine claim, clearly a sneaky loophole for them. It is currently with the complaints department and remains to be seen whether common sense/decency prevails.